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Veolia Austin Open PPA Women’s Semi-Finals
Rachel Rohrabacher PPA 2024, Illustration Tom Filippini, Founder
Marietta Wright, Meghan Dizon, Anna Bright, and Rachel Rohrabacher took to the court under challenging rain conditions. Rohrabacher kicked off the serving for her team. The match began evenly, with both teams trading points, reflected in the early scores where it was tied a couple of times plus some narrow leads.
The teams found themselves in a neck-and-neck race, with the score at one point reaching a 7-7 tie. Both sides displayed pretty good composure, with several timeouts called in hopes of regrouping.
The match saw moments of referee corrections and intense rallies, but Bright and Rohrabacher managed to come out ahead during crucial points, leading them to victory in both games with final scores of 11-7 and 11-9.
Interviews
Anna Bright on their strategy during crucial timeouts: “I was thinking about how everyone on the PPA staff was just telling us to please win in two, and that was the extra motivation I needed to turn it around.”
Anna Bright on dealing with momentum shifts: “It’s tough. Whenever you play a good team, especially women’s doubles, it’s such a fast-paced game. There’s gonna be big runs on either side, and we felt like we got a little frantic when the momentum started to shift.”
Rachel Rohrabacher on their recent success: “It’s been really nice, really exciting just to keep being successful with Anna. I mean, we started from MLP, and to have some success on the PPA tour is really exciting.”
Anna Bright on choosing Rachel Rohrabacher as a partner: “She’s like a total dog. That’s so important. I think in the MLP format, absolutely. That’s a big reason, was a big motivator behind that pick.”
Anna Bright on their relationship: “But just in these tight matches, you want someone who’s going to swing away with you, and it’s a bonus. I didn’t really know this, but we’re really great friends, which is awesome. We’re always texting. We’re always rooting for each other.”
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